On Our Radar: Getting Past the ‘OK Plateau’

ByLauren Weber

If you’ve hit the “OK Plateau” — good enough but not exceptional — at work or your chess game or anything else, read this summary from Brain Pickings of the three stages of task mastery. The key to getting beyond the plateau is to keep returning to the first stage (the cognitive stage), where we make a lot of mistakes and consciously apply ourselves to learning something. That’s what the best musicians and figure skaters do — they practice the hardest adagios, the hardest jumps rather than the parts that make themselves feel like experts. — Lauren Weber

Traveling for work? At some companies, husbands and wives fly free. A USA Today analysis finds that scores of companies are footing the bill for travel, lodging and meals for the spouses of board members and executives. Some say the perk crosses the line, but companies contend that having spouses along on company trips fosters stronger bonds among corporate leaders. –Nikki Waller

Where do you stand? PayScalehas a fun report on how baby boomers, Gen X-ers and Millenials compare in terms of salary, educational attainment, commuting habits, and biggest job complaints. You can even quiz yourself to see if you were born into the right generation. –Melissa Korn

And finally…

Here’s a job our high-school guidance counselors never mentioned — Chris Golub, 48, designs the playlists for restaurants like Chipotle. His company is called Studio Orca and he spends much of his time watching strangers bop their heads or tap their feet while downing chicken tacos, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. –Rachel Feintzeig

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